Saturday, October 22, 2011

The consequences of conflict are many. The consequences of peace are just as many. I'm aiming for the latter in my life; on a personal level, on an international level. Because life isn't just about my little world, my little skirmishes, my little problems. What I do and say ultimately affects what you do and say and vice versa. Life is more about what effects my individual actions have on those I love. If they are not happy, I am usually not happy. It is also about what effect my individual actions have on the whole planet. If I pollute the atmosphere with carbon exhaust from my vehicle, I am not the only one breathing the fumes. Conversely, if I anti-pollute the warring atmosphere in this world with peaceful gestures, peaceful words, uplifting deeds and unselfish motivations, I am also not the only one benefiting. Everyone has an effect on the world. Everyone. Choose which consequence you'd like to be and hold yourself to that. You might be the catalyst for someone on the fence at the same crossroad. I don't want my influence to be the one that knocks him off and kills him. I want my influence to help him choose a way that will lift him up and set him on his own peaceful way in the world.

Consequences of war aren't imaginary. Here are just a few to ponder from the past and present.

They are all concrete reasons to blog for peace.

It's always the same no matter which war or what era or who is fighting. Any of these photos could pertain to any war, any region, at any time.

On a humanitarian level the stakes are not higher now than they've ever been. War and unrest has always scourged mankind in massively personal ways.

Reasons #15 - 24

Hunger

vs abundance

Displacement of civilians

Ivorians crossing into Liberia from fighting in the Ivory Coast

(credit: Department of International Development)

vs. peaceful places to dwell

Sacrifices and fear

"I drew an assault boat to cross in - just my luck. We all tried to crawl under each other because the lead was flying around like hail." Crossing The Rhine under enemy fire at St. Goar.

March 1945 Department of Defense

vs A peaceful play on the Rhine

Illness

Crop dusting with Agent Orange aka Operation Ranch Hand which lasted from 1962-1971 to destroy crops and foliage cover in the Vietnam countryside. Herbicides over 50x the normal legal limit were used on the land in possible violation of the Geneva Convention. The Vietnamese people and many American soldiers who served in Vietnam are still dealing with the long-lasting and deadly health effects of Agent Orange.

Environmental and Conservation. Ecocide: - the killing of the environment which includes

includes contaminating water supplies to a region by the explosion of bombs. The presence of landmines render much land unusable. The recent mishandling of radioactive material in Iraq in 2003 at the Tuwaitha Nuclear Plant following the dumping of uranium oxide into rivers. Destruction of the eco-system by heavy military equipment in forests and exposure to depleted uranium risks are also an issue.

Child soldiers1860-1865 Civil War US

1968 Vietnam

2007 Democratic Republic of The Congo

Prisoners of war

April 1951

United Nations Prisoner or War Camp in Pusan - Korean and Chinese communists prisoners